Lonicera plant named ‘Inov71’

ABSTRACT

A new cultivar of  Lonicera , ‘Inov71’, characterized by its columnar and compact plant habit with erect stems, its resistance to powdery mildew, black spot, and its fragrant inflorescences that are present in June and July that emerge white in color with purple-red markings and turn creamy yellow as they mature.

Botanical classification: Lonicera pericylmenum.

Variety denomination: ‘Inov71’.

RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is co-pending with a U.S. Plant Patent application fora cultivar discovered from similar parentage entitled Lonicera PlantNamed ‘Inov86’ (U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/584,231).

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Lonicerapericlymenum and will be referred to hereafter by its cultivar name,‘Inov71’. ‘Inov71’ is a new cultivar of honeysuckle, a vine grown foruse as an ornamental landscape plant.

The new Invention arose from an ongoing controlled breeding program bythe Inventor in Beaucouzé, France. ‘Inov71’ originated as a seedling ofLonicera periclymenum ‘Florida’ (not patented, syns. Lonicerapericlymenum ‘Serotina Florida’ and Lonicera periclymenum var. serotina‘Florida’) that had been obtained by irradiated by gamma ray irradiationat a level of 30Gy in the Inventor's laboratory in summer of 1996. Themale parent is unknown but is thought that ‘Inov71’ results fromself-pollination. The new cultivar was selected as a single unique plantin 2001.

Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar was first accomplished by theInventor using softwood stem cuttings in 2001 in Beaucouzé, France. Thecharacteristics of this cultivar have been determined to be stable andare reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and represent thecharacteristics of the new cultivar as grown outdoors in a field plotfor eight years in Beaucouzé, France. These attributes in combinationdistinguish ‘Inov71’ as a unique cultivar of Lonicera.

-   -   1. ‘Inov71’ exhibits a columnar plant habit with erect stems.    -   2. ‘Inov71’ exhibits a compact plant habit.    -   3. ‘Inov71’ exhibits resistance to powdery mildew and black spot        disease.    -   4. ‘Inov71’ blooms in June and July with fragrant flowers that        emerge white in color with purple-red markings and turn to a        creamy yellow color as they mature.

In comparison to the female parent plant (and probable male parent),‘Florida’, ‘Inov71’ differs in having a columnar and more compact planthabit. In comparison to typical plants of the species, ‘Inov71’ differsin being less vigorous, in having a much more compact habit, and inbeing earlier flowering. ‘Inov71’ is similar in disease and green flyresistance to its sister seedling, ‘Inov86’, however ‘Inov71’ hassmaller flowers and inflorescences and a more columnar habit. ‘Inov71’can also be compared to the cultivars ‘Scentsation’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No.16,240) and ‘Graham Thomas’ (not patented), which are similar in havingabundant, fragrant flowers, however ‘Inov71’ can also be distinguishedfrom these cultivars in having a more compact and columnar plant habit.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

The accompanying colored photographs were taken in mid summer andillustrate the overall appearance and distinct characteristics of a 6year-old plant the new Lonicera as grown in a trial garden in Beaucouzé,France.

The photograph in FIG. 1 provides an overall view of the abundance ofblooms and the columnar and compact plant habit of ‘Inov71’.

The photograph in FIG. 2 provides a close-up view of an inflorescence of‘Inov71’.

The colors in the photographs may differ slightly from the color valuescited in the detailed botanical description, which accurately describethe colors of the new Lonicera.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The following is a detailed description of a 6 year-old plant the newLonicera as grown in a trial field in Beaucouzé, France. The phenotypeof the new cultivar may vary with variations in environmental, climatic,and cultural conditions, as it has not been tested under all possibleenvironmental conditions. The color determination is in accordance withThe 2001 R.H.S. Colour Chart of The Royal Horticultural Society, London,England, except where general color terms of ordinary dictionarysignificance are used.

-   General description:    -   -   Botanical classification.—Lonicera periclymenum ‘Inov71’.        -   Parentage.—Gamma irradiation of Lonicera periclymenum            ‘Florida’ seedling.        -   Blooming period.—Blooms from early summer until Frost in            Beaucouzé, France.        -   Plant habit.—Columnar and compact vine with erect stems.        -   Plant size.—Reaches 2 to 3 m in height and 1 to 1.5 m in            width.        -   Diseases and pests.—Has shown good resistance to powdery            mildew and black spot.        -   Hardiness.—U.S.D.A. Zones 4 to 8.        -   Root description.—Fibrous.-   Growth and propagation:    -   -   Propagation.—Terminal, softwood stem cuttings.        -   Growth rate.—Moderate.-   Stem description:    -   -   Shape.—Round.        -   Stem color.—New growth; 144B heavily overlaid with 187A and            187B, mature wood and bark 177A.        -   Stem size.—Old wood; ranges about 2.5 cm in diameter near            base to 4 mm in diameter on lateral branches, new growth;            average of 2 mm in diameter, up to 3 m in length.        -   Stem surface.—New growth; Glabrous, mature wood is dull and            smooth and becoming bark-like as it ages.        -   Internode length.—Average of 1.7 cm.        -   Branching.—Well branched with new growth emerging in            opposite arrangement from axillary nodes.-   Foliage description:    -   -   Leaf shape.—Elliptic.        -   Leaf division.—Simple.        -   Leaf base.—Cuneate.        -   Leaf apex.—Acute to attenuate.        -   Leaf fragrance.—None.        -   Leaf venation.—Pinnate, only mid rib is conspicuous, color            on upper surface, 144C, color on lower surface; 183B.        -   Leaf margins.—Entire.        -   Leaf arrangement.—Opposite.        -   Leaf attachment.—Petiolate.        -   Leaf surface.—Glabrous on upper surface and lower surface.        -   Leaf internode length.—Average of 1.7 cm.        -   Leaf size.—Average of 5 cm in length and 2.5 cm in width.        -   Leaf color.—Newly expanded leaves upper surface; ranges from            144A to 144B, newly expanded leaves lower surface; 138B,            mature leaves upper surface; ranges from 137A to 137B,            mature leaves lower surface; ranges from 138A to 138B.        -   Petioles.—Average of 6 mm in length and 2 mm in width, 144D            in color, glabrous surface.        -   Stipules.—None.-   Inflorescence description:    -   -   Inflorescence type.—Comprised whorls (contracted corymb) of            tubular flowers at terminus of lateral branches with            sometime with smaller inflorescences on upper auxiliary            nodes.        -   Inflorescence size.—Ranges from 3.5 to 4 cm in height and 7            to 8 cm in width.        -   Flower buds.—Oblanceolate in shape, 155A in color with            longitudinal stripes and shading of 63A and 64A, ranges from            3.8 to 4.2 cm in length, average of 6 mm in width.        -   Flower fragrance.—Fragrant.        -   Lastingness of inflorescence.—Inflorescence blooms for 2 to            3 weeks with individual flowers lasting about 4 days, lower            whorls begin opening first, self-cleaning.        -   Flower quantity.—18 to 24 flowers per inflorescence.        -   Flower type.—Tubular, 2-lipped.        -   Flower aspect.—Outward.        -   Flower size.—Average of 1.4 cm in diameter and 4 cm in            depth.        -   Peduncles.—None, sessile to stem.        -   Bracts.—None observed.        -   Pedicels.—None, sessile to stem.        -   Calyx.—5-starred, inconspicuous, about 1 mm in diameter and            depth.        -   Sepals.—5, un-fused portion in triangular acute tip, fused            base, 145C in color, entire margin on tips, glabrous            surface.        -   Petals.—5, fused to tube at base, tube portion is an average            of 2.4 cm in length and 4 mm in width, free portion is            2-lipped with upper lip comprised of 4 fused petals flared            outward to reflexed and lower lip comprised of 1 petal that            is reflexed, free portion of fused petals are about 1.4 cm            in length and in width together, free portion of upper lip            petals are triangular in shape and about 4 mm in length and            width, free portion of lower lip petal is oblong in shape            and about 5 cm in length and 4 mm in width, all free petals            portions have a rounded apex and entire margin, outer and            inner surface is glabrous, color of inner surface (free            portions and tube); 155A when opening and 155A with            longitudinal stripes of 63A and 63A when fully open, color            of outer surface (free portions and tube); 158A and 158B            when opening and 158C with longitudinal stripes of 64C when            fully open, color of both surfaces when fading; 20C and 20B.-   Reproductive organs:    -   -   Gynoecium.—1 pistil, an average of 4.3 cm in length and            exserted beyond corolla, style is about 4.1 cm in length,            and 155A in color, stigma is about 2 mm in diameter and 0.7            mm in depth, flattened globose in shape and 160C in color,            ovary is inferior, ovoid in shape and ranges from 145A to            144C in color.        -   Androcoecium.—5 stamens, about 3.5 cm in length and exserted            beyond corolla, filaments are 155A in color, about 3.3 cm in            length, anthers are about 4 mm in length, dorsifixed, 24B in            color when flower is fully open, pollen is abundant in            quantity and 24B in color.        -   Fruit and seed.—True berry, round in shape, about 1 cm in            diameter, 44A in color.

1. A new and distinct cultivar of Lonicera plant named ‘Inov71’ asherein illustrated and described.